Donors Pledge $7.5 Billion for Türkiye, Syria after Quake

People search through the rubble of a collapsed building, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Türkiye, March 9, 2023. (Reuters)
People search through the rubble of a collapsed building, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Türkiye, March 9, 2023. (Reuters)
TT

Donors Pledge $7.5 Billion for Türkiye, Syria after Quake

People search through the rubble of a collapsed building, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Türkiye, March 9, 2023. (Reuters)
People search through the rubble of a collapsed building, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Kahramanmaras, Türkiye, March 9, 2023. (Reuters)

The European Union and international donors on Monday pledged seven billion euros ($7.5 billion) to help Türkiye and Syria in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated parts of the neighboring countries last month.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the EU’s executive arm, said 3.3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) of the total amount will be raised by the 27-nation bloc.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Feb. 6 killed more than 52,000 people — the vast majority in Türkiye. Nearly 300,000 buildings in Türkiye either collapsed or were severely damaged, according to the country's president.

“We have shown to the people in Türkiye and Syria that we are supporting those in need,” Von der Leyen said, adding that the global pledge included 1.1 billion euros from the EU's executive arm, and 500 million from the European Investment Bank, backed by the EU budget.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the conference via videolink and described some of the reconstruction challenges, including deadly floods that hit parts of the earthquake zone last week.

“Some of the aftershocks have been going on for a while and they are of equal magnitude to a separate earthquake,” he said. “We have been fighting against the flood disasters and challenging weather conditions.”

Erdogan said some 298,000 buildings across 11 provinces affected by the earthquake were destroyed or left unfit for use.

“No single country can fight against such a disaster, regardless of its level of economic development,” he said, putting the cost of reconstruction at $104 billion. “Your contributions made at this conference will contribute to the healing of wounds and wipe clean the traces of this disaster.”

The conference hosted by the European Commission and Sweden — which holds the rotating presidency of the EU — was attended by NGOs, G-20 countries and UN members as well as international financial institutions.

Survivors of the earthquake in opposition-held northwest Syria have received very little assistance because of deep divisions exacerbated by the country’s 12-year war. The EU said 15.3 million Syrians of a population of 21.3 million already required humanitarian assistance before the earthquake struck.

The bloc has been providing humanitarian aid to Syria since 2011 and wants to step it up. But it does not intend to help with reconstruction in the war-torn country, with EU sanctions against the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad in place due to its continued crackdown against civilians.

Von der Leyen said the Commission pledged an additional 108 million euros ($115.8 million) in humanitarian aid for Syria on Monday.

“All together we managed to raise with our partners 950 million euros ($1 billion) for the people in Syria,” she said. “This is just the first step.”

The International Rescue Committee, an aid group responding to humanitarian crises, had urged donors to ensure that the UN’s appeal for Türkiye and Syria — calling for $1 billion and $397 million respectively — is fully funded.

“The people affected by this devastating earthquake are relying on donors meeting in Brussels to step up this week,” said Tanya Evans, the IRC’s Country Director in Syria.

“They need to ensure that funding is available for life-saving items including food, shelter, warm clothes and clean water, as well as support to the already weak healthcare system including the provision of medicines and medical equipment. If they fail to do so, the most vulnerable will pay the price,” she added.



NATO Announces New Mission to Protect Undersea Cables in the Baltic Sea Region

Estonian naval ships sail in the Baltic Sea on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, as part of stepped-up NATO patrols in the region following suspected sabotage - The AP
Estonian naval ships sail in the Baltic Sea on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, as part of stepped-up NATO patrols in the region following suspected sabotage - The AP
TT

NATO Announces New Mission to Protect Undersea Cables in the Baltic Sea Region

Estonian naval ships sail in the Baltic Sea on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, as part of stepped-up NATO patrols in the region following suspected sabotage - The AP
Estonian naval ships sail in the Baltic Sea on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, as part of stepped-up NATO patrols in the region following suspected sabotage - The AP

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced Tuesday that the alliance is launching a new mission to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea region.

Rutte said at a meeting in Helsinki with the leaders of NATO countries located on the Baltic Sea that the effort would be dubbed Baltic Sentry.

“It will involve a range of assets, including frigates and maritime patrol aircraft, among others, and will enhance our vigilance in the Baltic,” Rutte told reporters. He also said that a small fleet of naval drones will be deployed “to provide enhanced surveillance and deterrence.”

The meeting follows a string of incidents in the Baltic that have heightened concerns about possible Russian activities in the region.

Even as Rutte was meeting in Helsinki with the leaders of eight Baltic nations, there were reports on the Polish state broadcaster TVP that a ship belonging to Russia's "shadow fleet” was seen circling a natural gas pipeline that runs from Norway to Poland, The AP reported.

Finland President Alexander Stubb said the issue had been discussed at the meeting without giving details.

The meeting included leaders from Finland, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Announcing the new operation, Rutte noted that more than 95% of internet traffic is secured via undersea cables, and 1.3 million kilometers (808,000 miles) of cables guarantee an estimated $10 trillion worth of financial transactions every day.

“Across the alliance, we have seen elements of a campaign to destabilize our societies through cyberattacks, assassination attempts and sabotage, including possible sabotage of undersea cables in the Baltic Sea,” he said.

Rutte said NATO’s adversaries must know that the alliance will not accept attacks on its critical infrastructure, underlining that “we will do everything in our power to make sure that we fight back, that we are able to see what is happening and then take the next steps to make sure that that doesn’t happen again.”

Pressed for details about what the operation might involve, Rutte declined to provide ship numbers, saying that the figure could vary week to week, and “we don’t want to make the enemy, any wiser than he or she is already.”

“We will make use of the full range of possibilities we as an alliance have,” he said, including “remotely operated vehicles” and drones.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in separate remarks to reporters that Germany will participate in the Baltic Sentry mission. Asked whether that means Germany will contribute ships or surveillance planes and whether he made a specific offer, he replied: “We will participate with everything we have in the way of naval capabilities; that will vary, as far as the concrete possibilities of deployment are concerned.”